Dtjck caller



Patented Jan. 3, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DUCK CALLER GeorgeJ. Yentzen, Nederland, Tex. Application Marchl 7, 1946, Serialv N0. 652,635

3.A Claims. (Cl. 46-180) My invention relates to improvements in wind sounding devices, with particularv reference to such as are used. by hunters for simulating the cally of, awildduck or the like.

Briey and generally stated, the invention has .among its primary objects to provide, in a device of4 this. kind, novel means. for assuring mainte-- nance of the vibratory sound-emitting, tongue against sticking, shifting, and buckling, etc., to the end that a uniform natural soundV tone will ali-rays be: produced.

The invention contemplates a device tor the purpose specifiedwhichincorporates means for preventing the accumulation of saliva on the sound-emitting vibratory tonguev and which means may and preferably does take the form of an expedientfor' preventing buckling o f. said vibratory tongue, to the end that theA latter may be made thinner and` more pliant than otherwise. Obviously :an accumulation of saliva on the vibratory tongue would tend tov detractfrom the natural toneI emitted by same and would tend to cause said tongue to stick.

Another object of the invention is to prov-ide a duck caller or the like which is very simple in construction, easily assembled, and which lends itself to. ready adjustment for the purpose of production of different tones simulating the Vcall of different. varieties of wild fowl.,

Other objects and advantages of the invention ;-,v

will become apparentr as the description proceeds, reference being had tor the accompanying drawing which illustrates the now preferred form of the invention..

It is to be understood, of course, that the inthe vibratory tongue-confining wedge element L which functions as a sound box or amplifier;

Fig. 3 is a perspective View ofthe device with the mouthl piece-providing outer barrel removed; Fig. 4 isa perspective view of an element which serves to preventbu'ckling of the vibratory tongue and which also protects' the latteragainst saliva and Fig. 5v is across-sectional View through the device minus the outer barrel creasing, the View having been taken ony the line 3*-3 of Fig. 3.

length so as to readily Referring to the drawing by reference characters, numeral 5 denotes an outer barrel which is reduced at oneI end to provide the mouth piece As illustrated in Fig. 1, the outer barrel 5 is oircumferentially serrated as indicated at 5a, to afford a good grip; and for this same purpose the `exterior of the outer barrel 5 is generally cylindrical and curved also in the direction of its lit in the hand of the user. Y

The outer barrel 5 is shell-like, the-mouth piece 5bprovid-ing the cylindrical opening 6', which Vcommunicates with the longitudinally flared Achamber taci said outer barrel.

Insertable into the end of the outer barrel 5, remote from the mouth. piece 5b, is an inner barrel 1 whose exterior circular wall makes snug con- Ytact with the cylindrical chamber ta of the outer barrel, as indicated in Figs. l and 5..

An exterior circumferential shoulder 3 of the inner barrel 'l limits insertion of the inner barrel 'L into the chamber 6a of the outer barrel 5; and from the shoulder 3, the exterior diameter of said inner barrel tapers or is progressively reduced in the direction of its outer end, as indicated at 9.

The sound emitting outer end of the inner barrel. l, has a bore it, enlarged as at Mic, beginning a short` distance inwardly of said outer end tov provide a shoulder i I'. The enlarged bore .portion ta, extends to the` inner end of said inner barrel l, and is adapted to receive the sound box i2., Whose top portion (Fig. l) tapers in the direction of mouth piece 5b. Sound box l2. has the central bore or chamber 52a, This latter chamber or bore l2a is preferably flared at its outer end, as indicated at i219 to approximately the diameter of the sound emitting outlet bore l0 of the inner barrel 'l with which it communi- Gates. The outer end of the tapered' sound box l2 abuts the. shoulder H- of the inner barrel, as shown, and the liared. outer end lZb of the bore |1241 actsas an amplier for the sound, as will be more apparent hereinafter.

The inner barrel l, inwardly of the shoulder s has its top (as Viewed in Figs. l and 3) cut away as indicated at la., to expose the sound box-receiving bore or chamber Illa, and tol provide side walls 'Ib (see Figs. 1 and 3)'. These side walls 'ib taper inward-ly across. the pla-ne of the axis of the inner barrel 7. (see Figs. 1 and 3). This cut away portionV la., 1b of the inner barrel l, provides a space for the sound emitting reed or vibratory tongue. it which is associated with the tapered sound box l2, which will now be referred to more in detail'.

Fig. 1 illustratesv the tapered sound box I2 as also having its top (Figs. 1 and 2) Ylineally cut away on an inwardly extending axis-crossing bias, in the direction of its inner end, as indicated at i3.

The inward bias cut I3 of the tapered sound box I2 exposes the. bore I2a of said sound box slightly inwardly ofthe ared outer portion I2b of said bore (see Figs. 1 and 2) to provide the flattened supporting surface I3a. This surface i3d supports the inner end of a vibratory sound-emitting tongue I4, and a thicker, relatively non-vibratory, juxtaposed strip I5, which is'preferably, but not necessarily, coextensive in both width and length to the vibratory tongue I4.

Figs. 1 and 5 show that the vibratory tongue I4, and the strip I5, are held in place against the flattened portion I3a of sound box I2, by ,means of aA wedge I6, whose attened lower surface makes flat contact with the upper surface of strip I5. The top or outer surface of wedge I is rounded to conform to the curve of the bore Ita ofthe inner barrel 1, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5.

Obviously, when the wedge member l2 is forced into the bore Ia of the inner barrel 'I,it will maintain the vibratory tongue I4, and the Vjuxtaposed strip I5, securely in place. By preference, the outer end of the wedge I6 is disposed between the sides'Ib ofinner barrel I andhas a medial bottom recess IBa opening to the subjacent backing strip I5, so as to provide a bottom finger grip area. This makes wedge I5 easier to handle and manipulate,

Fig. 5 illustrates the sound emitting vibratory strip I4, and its companion backing striprI5. as being slightly less than the width'of the sound box'I2. Thus, the walls of the latter will not interfere with proper vibration of the sound emitting tongue or strip I4; Y Y

The backing strip I5, and tongue I4, preferably extend beyond the end of the sound box I2, Yas indicated in Figs.v 1 and 3. The backing strip I5 has an aperture I5a, so asto admit air into the space between the strips I4 and I5. This prevents an accumulation of saliva emitting strip I 4, and thus obviates any tendency of the tongue or'strip I4 to stick to the strip I5. The strip I5 functions to prevent buckling of the sound emitting strip I4, and also transmits the action of the wedge I6 to the strip I4, which prevents any tendency of the sound emitting strip I4 to shift. By use of the backing strip I5 in asso# ciation with the tongue or sound emitting strip I4, the latter may be made more flexible and thinner than otherwise would be the case, to the end that a more natural tone can be produced and also to the end that the sound emitting strip or tongue I4 will have a much longer life than otherwise would be the case. Y

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it wil1be apparent that when the user blows into the mouth piece will be rapidly vibrated to produce the'hoarse call of a wild duck or the like. Y

As viewed in profile (Fig. 1), it will be Vseen that the strip-engagingshoulders I3b ofthe sound vbox 'I2 at opposite sides of the bore I2a, inwardly (or to the left as viewed in Fig. 1)of thel tongue supporting portion I3a, are Vslightly curved in the direction of the axis of the sound box I2. yBy reason of this, the strips I4, I5, are clamped against said side shoulders or walls I3b'of sound Y Y box I2 only for ashort distance inwardlyito leftV as viewed in Fig. 1V) of the tongue supporting poron the vibratory soundV 4 tion I3a. Thus, air blown in from mouth piece 5b will get under the vibratory tongue I4, which naturally is disposed above the bore I2a of sound box I2 at the inner end thereof. Spacing of the flat shoulders or'walls I3b, from the vibratory tongue I4, due to the lineal curve in the direction of the inner end of sound box I2, gives ample space for vibration of the tongue I4 to produce the characteristic fowl call. Thebacking strip I5 is noted as being of heavier material than the vibratory strip I4, and does not vibrate to any appreciable extent, if at all. Y

The hole I5a, heretofore, mentioned, in the backing strip I5, adjacent the outer end of the latter, permits air as stated to get through to the upper surface of the vibratory tongue I4, so as to Y keep it dry and prevent accumulation of saliva at such point. Obviously, saliva would tend to cause the tongue I4 to stick to the juxtaposed strip I5 and interfere with proper operation of the vibratory' strip I4. Y I

When it is desired to adjust the vibratory Vtongue I4 and its anti-buckling tongue or strip I5, to change the tone, itis only necessary to remove the outer barrel 5, and bypressure of the thumb on top of the Vwedge I6, pull same outwardly toward mouth piece 5b to admit of readjustment of strip I5 and ytongue I4. Then, of course, the wedge I 6 is again forced inwardly into the bore I0a of the inner barrel I0.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: Y

1. A duck caller or the like comprising in combination, a main cylindrical, hollow barrel, an inner barrel mounted within the main barrel, a sound box mounted within the inner barrel, the sound box and a, portion of the inner barrel being cut away ona trans-axis'bias inwardly of their outer ends, a vibratory reed mounted on the slanting surface of the sound box, a thin perforated coextensive backing plate overlying said vibratory reed, and a wedge inserted between the backing plate and the overlying runcut-away inner/{por-r tion of the inner barrel to lock the reed, backing plate and sound box in Aproper position within the main barrel.

5b, the sound emitting tongue or strip,v I4 Y 2. A duck 'caller or Vthe like comprising in combination, an outer barrel-like casing reduced at one end to form a mouthpiece, an inner cylindrical casing insertable within the outer casing and having a portion extending outwardly of the outer casing, a' sound box mounted within the inner casing, a portion of the inner casing and the sound box being cut on Vtheir transverse axis to provide inwardly slanting supporting surfaces, a vibratory sound-emitting tongue mounted on the slanting supporting surface of the sound box, a thin perforated backing plate mounted coextensively withthe tongue pieces, and a Vtongue and backingA plate holding wedge mounted .on the backing plate `and engaged at onegend between the backing plateand the inner barrel to hold the tongue in proper position within the outer casing.

3. A duckcaller comprising in combination an outer cylindrical barrel-like casing one end of said casing forming a mouthpiece, an inner cylindrical casing having a longitudinal bore therethrough, the inner casingV being removably inserted into the other 4end of theV saidbarrel-like casing and having 'a shoulder limiting its insertion the'reinto, a sound box mounted within the bore of the inner easing, a portionboth of the inner casing and the sound box being out onan angle' to'provide a surface slanting towardY the mouthpiece end, a

vibratory reed resting on the slanting surfacevof REFERENCES CITED the sound box and having its end extending past The following references are of record in the the end of the sound box toward the mouthpiece, me of this patent: and a relatively thin backing plate having a recess therein coextensively overlying the vibrating reed, 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS and a wedge engaging the top surface of the back- Number Name Date ing plate and the inner side of the bore of the 726,277 Fuller Apr. 28, 1903 inner casing to lock the plate and reed in proper 742,680 Kuhlemeier Oct. 27, 1903 position, 10 795,493 Dif/t0 July 25, 1905 877,715 Hayman Jan. 28, 1908 GEORGE J- YENTZEN- 2,396,359 Yager Mar, 12, 1946 

